Novelist and journalist Dave Hill

September 17, 2007

Brown's First Hundred: Day 83

Is it just me being contrary or there fewer and fewer reasons for a left-of-centre person not to reject Labour in favour of the party of Old Man Ming? I'm just asking: not that I haven't been "just asking" myself the same question at every general election since at least 1992 (I vote Labour locally but haven't at the Big One since 1987). Once you've dug down through the dreary media layers of leadership speculation and looked at the policies, how can your natural loyalties not be called into question? Let's see: they want to reduce the tax burden on the poorest in society and raise it on the richest; they're against identity cards; they're bolder on the environment...

Yes, yes, I know, lots of people like me keep "just asking" themselves the same question and sometimes switch to the party in yellow. But there's always the same problem: they've no chance of forming a government unless there's a change in the electoral system and there won't be a change in the electoral system unless they're in government. And even if they form a coalition with Labour after the next election, the change-maker won't stand for making that change. Plus they're a bit wacky, aren't they? All this underlines the big, recurring question - what are they actually for? Maybe Polly Toynbee has a point.